December 13, 2006

Raspberry Jelly Candy

Directions:
Warning: the first half of the recipe needs to be completed the day before you want to eat the candy.

Grease a loaf pan. Stir together pectin, water and baking soda in small pan. Cook on high heat. At the same time, bring the sugar and corn syrup to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally. When it reaches boiling, add the pectin mixture. Cook for about 1 additional minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add extract and food coloring, stirring to incorporate. Pour into the prepared pan and allow to cool, loosely covered, overnight on the counter. The next day invert the pan on to a platter or plate full of sugar. If you have trouble unmolding the candy, use a sharp knife to loosen it from the perimeter of the pan and carefully slide your fingers underneath the candy to gently peel the candy out of the pan. Press both sides of the candy into the sugar. Slice the candy into 1/4 inch slices, then cut each slice into 1/4 inch cubes. Roll each cube in sugar. Allow to sit an additional hour before packaging or serving. I packaged some of mine in candy bags to give as gifts and the rest is stored in Tupperware.

My thoughts:

I saw raspberry extract in the store for the first time this week. I went home wondering what I could make with it when suddenly it hit me. I could make fruit candy! I went back to the store and bought the extract and a box of fruit pectin. I figured that jelly candy was really just very solid jelly with no fruit chunks in it, so I proofed the pectin, stirred it into a sugar syrup and voila! Jelly candy! I was a little amazed it worked but it did. Best of all, it doesn't require the use of a candy thermometer or any technical know-how. I made it in under 10 minutes and it is prettier and tastier than any store bought jelly candy could hope to be.

Update: Thanks for all the comments! Several people have already written to me saying they have made this recipe and loved it. I love to hear success stories. To answer a question I was email a few times: fruit pectin is used in making jams and jellies. In the warmer months it is often stored near canning supplies. Since it is winter, my store moved it to the baking isle, near the sugar, on a very high shelf. If you can't find it, ask for it. They might have it in back since it is no longer prime canning season.

The Jelly Candy looks wonderful. I look forward to trying this recipe, hopefully in the near future :) I'm always on the lookout for vegan-friendly candy recipes. I'm going to keep an eye out for raspberry extract!!

Kathy: fruit pectin is used to make jelly and jam so it might be near canning, or near sugar. I bought it at Safeway and it was near the baking stuff but if you have a canning section, it might be there or even near jelly.

I tried this recipe last night and was disappointed to find that it did not set firmly when I turned it out on a plate this morning. The recipe is not totally clear though whether you continue to cook the pectin mixture on high heat the entire time you are waiting for the sugar/corn syrup mixture to come to a rolling boil? My pectin mixture was boiling madly and the sugar/corn syrup mixture was not even beginning to boil so I reduced the heat slightly on the pectin-perhaps that was my mistake?

I've been looking for a base recipe from which to start in order to make sugarless Cinnamon Bears. The grocery-store ones are made from starch ("modified food starch"). I figure it'd be safer to my BMI to pig out on "soluble fiber" pectin rather than starch, though.

Looks like this recipe may work as a start. Thanks!

P.S. Re: Gummy Worms - they are actually made from gelatin, so it should also be possible to get the same texture using it as well as pectin.

I made these using lemon zest and lemon juice. These were great. I bought my extracts at my local grocery store the small ones were 99 cents. I think they are called LorAnnes or something like that. I am going to try them today with Tutti Fruitti, Tangerine, and Cranberry extract. Yum-O.

These look really good? Do you think that there is something other then corn syrup that would work in it's place? (Most corn syrup has high fructose corn syrup, which is something I try to stay off of.)I'll play around with the recipe a bit as well. Thanks! Will be watching your site more often!

I'm so excited to try this recipe for the holidays! Do you think I could cool the mixture in a larger pan so I have a thinner sheet of candy that I can cut into shapes with cookie cutters and then roll them in sugar?

Thanks for posting this recipe! I tried an alternate version yesterday that I came across- Its was almost identical, but called for use of a thermometer and slightly different technique. I have to say this version seems to be working out better for me (haven't made the cubes yet:).

The only changes that I made were the use of LorAnn oils- I had a variety of their natural flavorings on hand. I used 3/4 tsp lemon oil in one batch, and 1 tsp of blueberry in another batch.

I also added about 2 tbs of citric acid to both the lemon and blueberry batches I don't think it's affecting the gel at all, but it does add a slight zing to the flavor which I prefer. I just used the Ball brand, think the product is called Fruit-Fresh.

I would like to know if anyone out there knows where I can buy corn syrup that does not have high-fructose corn syrup in it.

Thanks again for the post- I love, love, love it!

Going to make grapefruit, pomegranite, and a bajillion other variations!!

I made these and they turned out excellent! I followed the recipe exactly and was thrilled that they actually worked. I tried to make them again with orange flavor and so far haven't had any luck! First I used Sure-Jell and orange oil and it never set up then I used Sure-Jell and orange strafe and they didn't set up. So I tried using Ball brand pectin and the orange extract. I'll have to wait until tomorrow evening to see if it is going to work. When I made the raspberry ones, I used the Ball brand pectin and as I said earlier, they were awesome so I have my fingers crossed for the orange!

I made these and they turned out excellent! I followed the recipe exactly and was thrilled that they actually worked. I tried to make them again with orange flavor and so far haven't had any luck! First I used Sure-Jell and orange oil and it never set up then I used Sure-Jell and orange strafe and they didn't set up. So I tried using Ball brand pectin and the orange extract. I'll have to wait until tomorrow evening to see if it is going to work. When I made the raspberry ones, I used the Ball brand pectin and as I said earlier, they were awesome so I have my fingers crossed for the orange!

I want to make a chocolate cake with orange frosting between the layers. If I lessened the pectin in the recipe, do you think it would be spreadable? My favorite candy is chocolate covered fruit gel and I really think it would make an amazing dessert?